For books, Chris Mann has a new one out and Les Johnson's book on tube flies has been on the market a few years now. I'm not familar with Mann's book so I don't know if he includes tying instructions or not. I am familar with Johnson's and his book has good tying instructions and many patterns. Either bood should be fairly easy to find. Also, Poul Jorgeson's book on salmon flies has a chapter on how to tie tube flies along with a few tube fly patterns.

Mann's book, if it is "hairwing and tube flies for salmon and steelhead" does not have tying instructions, except for the winging of swedish long wing flies. You can get almost as much info here by searching the archives as you can from any available book on tube flies.

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"I'm not fat, I just have a sweet hockey body!" Eric Cartman

I have got most of my tying instructions from "Trout and Salmon" magazine in the UK and other bits and pieces from various other magazines and books.

One bit of advice - when tying hairwing tube flies, go easy on the hair. Too much hair(wing) creates a denser profile, often does not allow the body to show through, and causes the fly to rise/swim to high in the water. Obviously, there are some, but few, exceptions to this.

The Salar patterns that you mentioned were created by Mikael Frödin. There was an article on him and the patterns he uses in a UK magazine publication. I can't remember what one, but it would have been either "Trout and Salmon" or "Fly-fishing and Fly-tying". You could get in touch with them and see if they have a back issue.

Loop Tubes - I like them but find there use more limited than others. I know some people who now fish nothing but patterns tied on Loop Tubes all year. The main advantage is in the weight for size, and they are heavy. This means that patterns to get down in the water column can be tied on them without the necessity for longer tubes. However, you have to be quite inventive with the wings to tie on them, as the bodies are too short and of the wrong shape to tie complicated, durable patterns, IMHO. With a long wing the movement of patterns tied on these can be very good, I'd eat them myself.

I, personally, prefer a lighter tube(aluminium) and a faster sinking line. The current has a greater impact on the lighter tube, giving it mor emovement in the water.

Small oversight Herr Moderator..."Tube Flies" ('History & Construction') was co-written (with Les Johnson) - I believe Mark Mandell made a few contributions to the book. It's not a bad primer although it is almost 10 years old and much has changed since it was first published. The patterns are IMO quite 'pedestrian' compared to the tube flies that are being dressed today.

Chris Mann's newest book has nothing in the way of step-by-step instructions yet has quite a few patterns - some liberally borrowed without permission from the original tyers or designers.

Ken Sawada has written a great instruction book on tube flies (and Waddingtons). The 'English' is a bit difficult to understand, but the photos are gorgeous and speak volumes. I highly recommend it.

I agree with Gary about some of the limitations on tying on Loop tubes. Most of my tube flies are tied on HMH Micro Tubing - don't let the name 'micro' mislead you, either. While it's been marketed for more diminutive Trout patterns, I've had great success in tying larger Steelhead and Salmon flies on it.

If you're looking for some marvelous Rx's for tube flies, I'd recommend checking out Jurij Shumakov's work on Rackelhanen or on Steve Burke's Salmonfly.Net website. Jurij's ties are among the best in the world.

Igor,
I did find Shumakov's flies on those sites, I'm very impressed by them. I'm wondering if you have tried his patterns for steelhead or know anybody who has.
Also, he has a unique tube that I think he calls a Ranger ? I did find a shop that sells them and they appear somewhat similair to the Loop bottle tube. Any experience with these ?
Final question is about his materials. He uses some unusaula materials in his wings. Any idea where these can be found ?

I too checked out some of Jurij Shumakov's fly designs and it inspired me to get onto the vice and tie up some new patterns for the spring. As always I used the style and proportions but created my own patterns based on other patterns and experience.

I found Icelandic sheep to be very good for winging, and also a synthetic called polar fibre. Most of the patterns I've been tying use a combination of these two and arctic fox. I did look at the arctic runner but it is very expensive in the UK. I'll keep looking for other good substitutes.

Having just found this thread I hope it is not too late to add my comments, oops! photos to this thread - hopefully they will show you don't have to use Artic fox and the other scandinavian style ties to utilize "bottle" tubes.The attached tube is tied with a short double rabbit strip on the top with the hook point ridding upwards for those problematic flystealing rock gardens that steelies love hanging out in.
speydoc

The previous fly was tied on a Dragonfly bottle tube, the next fly is on the original Loop bottle tube. On the next fly the colour combination is my own variation, the pattern is based on a style that I saw Beau Purvis fishing on the Dean two summers ago and I have adapted to the bottle tube. Beau refers to the style as a "string leech intruder" - he had tied it on a regular tube with dumbel eyes similar to an intuder, hence the name. This fly is tied with rhea as the throat hackle and utilizes a free swinging hook on a non slip loop knot - on chartreuse nylon in the photo to make it show up better for this post.
speydoc

I just though I'd throw my two cents in. I completely agree with Garry W......... Aluminum tubes are our favourite.... though sometimes we go to brass or copper in extreme currents. They are light enough to cast yet they still sink at a reasonable rate (with fast sink line). They also give a more lively action in the current too.

I'vd tried Loop Bottles out.... they are great for sinking, though I prefer the long tubes since you can have a longer bodied fly and can attach wings without a great deal of skill.

We've been selling tube flies now on the net for a few months.... no tying instructions but there is a few pictures to start from.........

Last edited by flytyer; 11-29-2004 at 04:27 PM.
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